Means for reducing friction



J. B. GURY.

MEANS FOR REDUCING FRICTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1919 L ji lggu Patentedlune M E9210 riage necessarily UNI 1mm some 28. 1mm s'r. LOUIS;:YMISSOURI mEAivs roR nnnucmo rRIcrIoN:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. GURY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ofSt. Louis and Stateof Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful 'Improvement in Means for ReducingFriction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means forreducing friction, and has more particularly to do with a relatively heavy body Or carslidable in close contact and with accuracy on-a guideor' support in an instrument, tool or machine of precision, as for example, the tail-stock or carriage of a lathe, or the like.

It has for its principal object to minimize wear of the contact surfaces as well as reduce the required propelling force In operat ion;"T Tthis end it consists primarily in the interposition of a resilient antifriction support to relieve the preponderance of the weight ofthe movable body from the slideway without disturbing the proper contactual relation betweenthem.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical application of the invention,-

,Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the bed frame of an ordinarymachine lathe with the tail stock and its carriage in place thereon; f

Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3 is a, section through the carriage and slideway showing the antifriction supporting device in elevation;

ig. 4 is a similar view taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the spring mem ber; and a Fig. 6 is a view looking at the end of'the antifrictionidevice. 7

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the bed frame of the lathe, having the usual slideways 2 and 3 thereo Slidable thereon is the carriage block or frame 4 on which is mounted the tail-stock 5.

Obviously, to secure accuracy of work,

the engagement between the carriage and slideway must be maintained at all times with exact nicety. Owing to the weightkof the movable bodyon the slideway and in consequence of continual movement thereon, considerablewear is bound to occur, so that in time there is such deterioration that re-- surfacing is necessary and in some cases the Specification of Letters Patent. P jt t d l Applieation filed m y 1 r Sedan-0.1296155 lathe repair.

becomes unfit for its work and beyond To relieve the preponderance ofthe'weight and carriage on the slidewab s, the carriage. :is. provided with vertical bores in which are slidably mounted mg rollers'8 to ride on the s idewa-ys'or a separate trackway provided therefor-on the -v weight of the movable body is fifty pounds,-

the springs will be adjusted to sustain, for example, forty pounds, thereby leaving ten pounds to be carried in slidable contact with the slideway. Or, if the weight is more or less than fifty pounds gross, the excess over the ten pounds or whatever minimum weight is necessary to maintain the sliding contact .mayalways pressed antifriction devices, which latter, of course, will be correspondingly adjusted.

Any suitable spring may be employed, but it is preferable,-for compactness, to utilize a split ring or washer type 9 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 which may beset for a given weight and merelyinterposed between the end of the block 7 and the end of the recess or bore 6. However, 'to provide for adjustment of the springs after they. are in place, and to this end a washer 10 may be interposed between the spring and a screw 11, so that, by manipulation of the latter in and out, the tension of the spring may be varied to sustain more or less of the weight.

The number of, the antifriction supporting devices used and the particular location thereof admits of considerable varia. tion just so long as the preponderance of -the weight is relieved from the-sliding contact surfaces and is well balanced on said antifriction devices. I

Any suitable means may be provided to prevent the blocks 7 from turning in the bores or sockets 6. As shown, plates 12 are countersunk in the slide face of the or socketsjG f blocks 7- hav-','

it is preferable" yet maintain a suflicient bearingof the be carried by the spring-V they may be made formed. I

carriage and there fastened with their end portions promoting slightly between the'biurcated, portions "of A the blocks 7 where the rollers 8 are mounted. Obviously, however, the blocks may have other spline and- While-the invention is shown as applied to a lathe','it is not limited to such applicati0n,-as it is equally applicable to numerous other machines and devices without-in the I 'least departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

That is claimed is: v 'i 1. The combination of a body having a slidable contact with a support, and a resilient antifriction bearing carrying the preponderance of the Weight of said body to relieve the pressure thereof from said suport. P 2} The combination of body having a definite slidable contact surficially with respect to a support, and a springpressed antifriction bearing correlated to said support to relieve the pressure of the preponderance of the weight of said body from said sup-- ort.

3. In a lathe or the like, the usual slideway and a carriage slidable thereon, and spring-pressed antifriction supporting devic es on'said carriage carrying the greater part of its weight to relieve the pressure thereof from ,the slideway.

In amachine of precision, a slideway and a hefty body having a slidable engagement surficially on said slideway, said body having a spring-pressed antifriction bearing movableltherewith and carrying the preponderance of the Weight of said body to relieve the pressure in excess of a minimum of the weight necessary to maintain the surficial sliding contact with said slideway.

5. In a machine of precision, a slideway and a hefty body having a surficial sliding contact with said slideway, a spring-pressed 'antifriction bearing interposed between said body and slideway and being capable of sustaining the weight of said body in excess of a predetermlned minimum thereof necessary to maintain the surficial sliding contact, and

means for varying the sustaining power of I said anti-friction bearing.

6. In a machine of the character described, a slideway and a carriage having surficiai sliding contact therewith, and 'means for carrying the weight of said carriage antifrictionally 'n excess of a determinate part of its necessary weight to maintain the contact with said slideway.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 26th day of April, 1919.

JOHN B. GURY. 

